All He Wants Is Happiness
by Hal-Baby-Dont
Summary: Tom wouldn't ordinarily have much to say about Hal's relationships, but in a world full of aliens, relationships shouldn't be taken lightly.


**All He Wants Is Happiness**

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned Falling Skies, but sadly I do not.**

The first time Tom met Maggie, she was aiming a loaded gun at him and his group of fighters. He knew she held a threat to him and his fighter, but he was more worried about the man named Pope who was speaking about killing them all. However, he knew she was a fighter; he had tried to find her flaw; he wanted to know what made her weak, but all he saw was a strong young woman ready to fire without regret.

Tom was a little worried when Pope called the girl over to escort Hal back to the 2nd Mass to tell Weaver about this new threat and the supplies that they wanted. This girl, Maggie, was obviously a strong young woman who knew what she was doing with her weapon, but he knew his eldest son could handle it. He hoped.

Later that night, he learned all that she had done to help the captured bunch, and get them back to the 2nd Mass. Maggie had all the traits of a fighter, strong, calculating, determined, and intelligent. If she wanted into the 2nd Mass she was welcome.

* * *

During the time of his absence, he worried about his boys like crazy. He knew that Anne would watch after them until he got back, but he didn't expect for Maggie to do the same. When he came back after three months, he noticed a new dynamic between Hal and Maggie.

They were no longer _just_ partners, even if they didn't realize it, Tom did. They would laugh and joke around with each other, and always had each other's back on a different level than usual partners would.

Before Tom had been taken, Hal had still been torn up over his girlfriend being harnessed by the overlords. When Tom came back, he saw glimpses of Hal's old charismatic self. Tom guessed that Hal got it through his thick skull that it was going to be harder to get her back than it was for the other harnessed children. He also guessed that Maggie had a little something to do with his good mood. It was obvious that Hal had turned to Maggie for support during Tom's three month absence.

Tom saw how the two of them acted together. He saw the side of Maggie that Hal brought out and vice versa. He saw the way the two would sit together, laugh, smile, and talk about anything and everything. You rarely saw Hal and Maggie separated. Between fighting the skitters, patrolling, and figuring out the 2nd Mass' next move, you could always find the two of them sitting together near the hot pot of coffee, or talking on some fallen tree in the middle of the nearest woods.

Tom watched on as Maggie denied Hal's every advance. He saw the look in his son's eye. He knew Hal, and he knew that he wanted Maggie as more than a partner.

At first, he didn't know how he felt about their budding relationship. Maggie was considerably older than Hal with a troubled past. However, Tom liked Maggie. She was a great fighter, and even with that cold, calculating exterior, he knew there was a kind, caring girl inside that very few people got to see. He just wasn't sure that she was right for his teenage son.

* * *

The first morning that the 2nd Mass was settled in the hospital with clean beds, electricity, and new equipment, Hal had overslept and missed Weaver's early morning briefing. Sure, Hal was still just a teenager; he didn't _like_ to get up early in the morning to go to a boring meeting, but it was very unusual for him to miss one.

Those days, Tom seemed to forget that Hal _was_ a teenager. Before all of this alien nonsense, he went to high school, played lacrosse, and procrastinated on his homework just like most Boys his age.

Anyways, after the meeting, Tom had a couple hours before he was on duty, so he went looking for Hal. He checked the hospital room that Hal had been assigned, the cafeteria, and outside of the hospital but still came up missing. Having given up, Tom decided to go back to his room and rest for a little while before duty called.

He passed by several rooms on his way back to his, but one caught his attention more than the others. Taking a peek through the window of this certain door, Tom saw Maggie asleep in the hospital bed with a sleeping Hal slumped forward in a chair with his head lying on Maggie's shoulder with their hands intertwined. He knew he should wake Hal, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

* * *

Right before the 2nd Mass left for Charleston, Tom learned that Hal and Maggie had indeed created a relationship outside of the partnership level. Tom was happy for his eldest son. After seeing them together for over a year, Tom realized that the age difference, personality differences, and anything else didn't matter.

Everyone deserved a chance at love, and Tom was glad that Hal found it in such a messed up world. Hal deserved to have something that made him happy, and if Maggie was what made Hal happy, then so be it.

* * *

After a while in Charleston, the 2nd Mass started to become accustomed to the ways of the new capitol, and learned the ways of their new allies, The Volm. Life for Tom had been a hard. Charleston wanted him as the new President, the Volm had big weapon plans, and to top it all off, Hal woke up one morning paralyzed from the neck down.

Tom became busy with his presidency job, and slacked in his parenting job. He was very passionate about building the new capital, and beating the espheni.

Looking back now, he has realized that putting Charleston ahead of his family, especially in a time when his family needed him was the worst move he could make. Matt was having behavioral issues, Ben was feeling lost in his role of the army of Charleston, and Hal was paralyzed.

Tom wished he could say that he was the one to help Hal through his paralysis, but he wasn't. Maggie was.

Over time, it became apparent that Maggie was more than just, "Hal's girlfriend"; she had become a part of the Mason family. She watched out for and protected Ben and Matt like an older sister would do for their younger siblings, and she took care of Hal in his time of need.

When Maggie had a break from perimeter duty, she would go down to the infirmary and talk to Anne. With Anne and Tom's baby due in a few months, Anne needed someone to talk to who could relate to being pregnant in the wrong place at the wrong time. For Maggie, being pregnant in prison was hard; for Anne, being pregnant and fighting aliens in a post-apocalyptic world was even harder.

In between Tom's busy schedule, he watched as Maggie took care of Hal, watched over Ben and Matt, and kept Anne company. Tom was so grateful for Maggie and all that she did for his family.

* * *

When Hal turned evil and kidnapped Tom, Tom thought he would be able to talk Hal through the evil, but he quickly realized that it would not be so easy. He saw glimpses of Hal trying to come through, but no matter what he did, he couldn't gain full control. When Maggie snuck into the room he noticed a change in Hal.

Tom had watched Hal and Maggie these past two years, especially in this past year, he saw the spark that was lit in Hal whenever Maggie walked into the room. When Maggie walked through that door, Tom felt a change in the situation; things became more intense, but he knew Maggie could talk Hal through whatever was inside of him.

After they got to the infirmary, Tom stood beside Maggie watching as Lourdes and a team of doctors extracted whatever bug was inside Hal. When Tom first met Maggie, she was strong and calculating. The girl standing next to him was not the same person he had seen two years ago. Tom saw Maggie as a part of his family now, and as much as it broke his heart to stand behind that glass watching and listening to the agonizing screams of his son, it hurt just as much to stand beside a teary eyed Maggie.

* * *

In the end, the only thing that mattered was that Hal and Maggie found happiness in this messed up world, and Tom was glad for that.

Tom just wanted happiness for his some, and he knew that Maggie was the right girl for Hal.


End file.
